Nursing Women’s Volleyball Team: The Higher They Soar, The Harder They Land

By Alfred Benedict Garrido

With the thunderous momentum that the top seeded Nursing Women’s Volleyball team has been riding, the squad seemed en route in clenching the drought for a championship. The dynamic dynamo that launched their pride sky high seemed unstoppable, and the guns that they were reloading on training were always full of bullets. With a commanding win over Arts and Letters last September 7, and having escaped the worst despite a hairline demolition from the College of Fine Arts and Design last September 13, the women’s team found themselves a healthy spot, the quarterfinals. Yet again, it just did not turn out the way the UST Nursing universe expected.

Facing the spur laden bin of second seeded Architecture in the Top 8 extravaganza, the amazons in green and gold maintained composure. Led by senior star Maricris Alkuino, the Nursing squad fired grenades early to dismantle Architecture’s chances and grab a commanding 2-0 card in the best of five set battle. With effective setting prowess from Nursing’s star sophomore setter Melissa Caparros, the unforgiving kills by Alkuino, and the undying attitude displayed by junior Mariel Atanacio, the last 25 landing seemed to go by Nursing’s way.

By the dawn of the third set, the rage of the Architecture squad burst and the calm before the storm took away the dynamos that the Nursing navy has been firing. Architecture’s defense enables them to hold Nursing under their mantle and send away the lines back to Vegas. With the intact power and solid defense that the Beato Angelico based netters contain in their armory, Architecture slowly grappled back to life and took over the game. “Archi (Architecture) relaxed and just played their game. And gradually, their defense became solid. Naging matiyaga sila at ang lakas ng loob nila. We on the other hand, napagod in the end”, says Nursing star Alkuino. The final moments were of the same story. By fourth and fifth sets, the maroon-hued fighters continue to dominate and steal the bragging rights from Nursing. As the match point was declared and the ball landed beneath Nursing’s heels, the 2-0 card which lifted their glory for a sudden dot of time was conquered by the College of Architecture, who won this knock out game by three sets to two.

The stunning upset lifts the College of Architecture to the tournament’s final four and ends the season for the Nursing Volleyball team. But it did not end that bad. This year, the women’s volleyball team, for a moment, became the top contender for a title. Their journey may end up here, but the youth of this team declares a threat on the following years to come.